The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda team is set to compete this weekend at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - After months of preparation, ArmsUp Motorsports has secured two seats for the USF2000 Championship set to commence this weekend for Rounds 1 & 2 in St. Petersburg, Florida for the annual Grand Prix of St. Pete, alongside the Verizon IndyCar Series. As the 2015 season came to a close, the team prepared to test new and returning AUM drivers to fill the four available seats. During the six-month off-season, the team buckled down to secure the team's lineup for the 2016 championship.
Joining the team for the 2016 Championship is Victor Franzoni, Brazilian native who will be competing in the USF2000 series for the third season. Franzoni, who clenched a victory as a rookie at the opening round of the 2014 season at St. Pete, looks forward to joining the ArmsUp lineup.
Franzoni stated, "I'm really looking forward to St. Pete. It´ll be my first race with ArmsUp so that makes me even more excited. They have a great car and the atmosphere in the team is really nice, I love it! So I´m confident I'll have a good result with them. I already raced twice at St. Petersburg, so this will help us for sure and I love that track, for me is one of the best tracks in the calendar. I hope we can put everything together in this weekend and start the season in the best way."
Returning to ArmsUp Motorsports is Max Hanratty, a rookie who competed in the 2015 season. Last year, Hanratty's progress consistently improved with each round and he proved to be competitive against the other 17 rookies in the field. The AUM team is thrilled to announce his return and pick up where they left off last season.
"I'm excited to be returning with ArmsUp Motorsports," said Hanratty. "It was a huge learning year for us in 2015 and we've gained a lot of experience that I believe will help position us for more success in 2016. The Borland brothers run a top-notch program and I'm confident they will supply me with a car capable of producing the results we are looking for. Having an experienced teammate in Victor Franzoni will be invaluable for the development of the team. He's proven he can win races in USF2000 and run up front in Pro Mazda. I couldn't be more eager to drive alongside him and learn what I can. With one of the most competitive fields in years, the GP of St. Pete will definitely be an enormous challenge, but the team and myself have put a lot of work in this off season and I know we're ready to attack any challenges head on. I think we're going to surprise a lot of people this year."
While Max Hanratty and Victor Franzoni are set to be secure for entire season, ArmsUp Motorsports has also secured seats for two noted drivers from SCCA to make appearances during the season in the USF2000 National Class. Danny Weyls and Dale VandenBush are planned to fill seats for the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit and Road America. Danny is also expected to join ArmsUp for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
"I am thrilled to be a part of the USF2000 National series with my longtime friends at ArmsUp Motorsports," explained VandenBush. "I wanted a new challenge after accomplishing everything I wanted to in SCCA club racing, and Gregg and I have talked about getting together for a long time. I've known Gregg and Brent since we all came up through the Skip Barber series. This will be the most ambitious undertaking of my modest career, but I'm in good hands with one of the best teams in the business. My goal is to win at Indy and Road America, and with a team of this caliber, winning results are expected. To be racing at the Speedway will be very, very special; a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I am very pumped for the season to start!"
"It was a long off-season," said team owner Gregg Borland. "But we're excited to finally get it started. We've got a great driver line up and look forward to seeing how they'll do. We also still have one final full time seat available, and look forward to getting the final driver in that seat."
About ArmsUp Motorsports ArmsUp Motorsports was established in 1995 by 20-year lead instructor for Skip Barber Racing School, Gregg Borland. It has since then grown to be a leading team in the world of motorsports. ArmsUp Motorsports is a full service prep facility with a team of highly experienced mechanics, driving coaches, and engineers readily available to assist in the success of each driver. The team specializes in Pro F2000, Formula Continental, Formula Atlantic and Vintage Car racing.